Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group, have reached a 60-day ceasefire agreement, marking a potential pause in hostilities after months of intense conflict.
The deal, announced on Tuesday, includes provisions for Hezbollah fighters to retreat 40 kilometres from Israel’s border, while Israeli ground forces will withdraw from Lebanese territory.
US President Joe Biden said the deal would lead to a “permanent cessation of hostilities”. Biden added that the US would lead another push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Despite the agreement, tensions remain high. Israeli authorities have warned displaced residents in Lebanon against returning to their homes immediately, citing ongoing security concerns.
The ceasefire comes after months of escalating violence. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed 25 people, and hours before the agreement was finalized, Israeli forces bombarded Beirut’s southern border 20 times in just two minutes. In response, Hezbollah launched drones into Israeli territory.
The conflict intensified in August when Israeli troops initiated a ground invasion of Lebanon. On August 25, Israel said its military conducted preemptive airstrikes involving 100 fighter jets, targeting thousands of rocket launchers across Hezbollah-controlled sites.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel, claiming it had fired more than 320 rockets as part of the “first phase” of its operation.
The group described the attacks as a response to the assassination of a senior commander in Beirut, allegedly carried out by Israel.
In mid-September, at least a dozen people were killed and 2,750 injured after explosions involving pagers were reported across Lebanon.
Pagers, a low-tech communication device used by Hezbollah, are believed to have been targeted by Israel to disrupt the group’s communication channels. Israel was widely blamed for the explosions, though it did not officially comment on the incident.
